Foraging Workshops

Popular outdoor educator and avid forager Stephan Lukacic takes you deep into science, ecology, and methodology of modern foraging. 

Demystify Wild Mushrooms!

Learn Native Ontario Plants used for food and medicine!

Courses through the year!

Science, Tradition and Practical use!

Custom Dates Available for Groups and Clubs!

  Introduction to Foraging for Wild Edible Mushrooms

This immersive wilderness workshop brings you into the forest with a single delicious goal in mind: teaching you how to find, safely identify, and sustainably harvest wild edible mushrooms! Popular outdoor educator and avid forager Stephan Lukacic takes you deep into science, ecology, and methodology of modern mushroom hunting. 

 *Check out Steve’s Instagram, where you can read articles he’s written about foraging and mushroom hunting for Outdoor Canada and other publications: https://www.instagram.com/stevie_funfur/ 

There are thousands of mushroom species in eastern North America. Some have strange alien-looking shapes that don’t resemble the mushrooms you find in the grocery store at all. Some look like heads of cauliflower, some like beautiful corals you’d find under the sea, others like soccer balls, bird’s feathers, or dangling icicles that hang from tree trunks, dead stumps and logs, or that burst up from the forest floor through leaves and dirt.

Wild mushrooms have curious folk names like “Dead Man’s Fingers”, “Shaggy Mane”, “Witch’s Butter”, and “Bear’s Head Tooth”; but their scientific names are far more accurate and important. Some turn colours when they’re cut or bruised, others smell like common fruits, taste acrid or bitter, or even glow in the dark at night. Many wild mushrooms are delicious; others are toxic. Most are unpalatable, flavourless, or too tough to eat. A few are even deadly. But how do you know which is which?

This short, intensive “course” is designed to demystify wild mushrooms, giving you a solid foundation on which to build future foraging skills. The workshop begins with an engaging 90 min seminar that takes place in a beautiful outdoor classroom. You will receive a 6-page handout covering all the basics of mushroom hunting methodology, and read and discuss its contents thoroughly. Then you’ll do a deep dive right into the forest—putting the knowledge you’ve acquired directly into practice by identifying any wild mushrooms the group encounters in their natural habitat. There’s always tonnes of time for questions and conversation, and usually some cool people and a bunch of laughs!

Mushroom hunting is a fascinating, gratifying, and often misunderstood outdoor activity. Come learn the basics of foraging for these fungal wonders of nature, learn tricks of the forager’s trade, and have a blast doing it!

*Note: You will not be foraging for wild mushrooms to take home. This workshop focuses on teaching you how to find and identify wild edible mushrooms. This is not a standard (boring!) foraging walk where a guide identifies mushrooms for you, which you then take home—having learned very little about how and why those mushrooms are safe to eat, where they like to grow, or how to properly harvest them

**What to bring: Good hiking shoes, hat, sweater, waterproof jacket, insect repellent and/or bug jacket, camera (cell phone), a pen or pencil, and readiness for outdoor adventures! Best suited to adults and older children. Includes walking & hiking—often off-trail and on uneven ground.

Duration: Approx. 3 hours

Seasons: June – October

Dates:  Saturdays at 1:30 pm

** PRE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Rates:  $60 per person 

Location:  Haliburton Highlands – Exact address of workshop will be forwarded to students upon registration.

**This package can be customized according to your needs.

Cancellation Policy:  You must cancel more than 48 hours before the workshop start time in order to reschedule or receive a refund.

Common Medicinal Mushrooms of Ontario

Popular foraging and outdoor educator Stephan Lukacic (@stevie_funfur on Instagram) takes you deep into the science, tradition, and practical use of the many medicinal mushrooms commonly found in our Ontario forests!

Turkey Tail
Reishi (Ganoderma sp.)
Chaga
Hen of the Woods (Maitake)
Hericiums (Lion’s Mane, Coral & Bear’s Head Tooth)
Oyster Mushrooms

This outdoors wellness workshop consists of an hour+ long seminar discussing the medicinal uses and health benefits of these powerful mushrooms, and the many beneficial compounds they contain. Steve will teach you how to accurately identify them and demonstrate safe and sustainable harvesting techniques. You’ll learn best practices for preservation and preparation, how they’re used in a variety of ways, and much, much more! There’s always time for questions and conversation, and usually some cool people and a bunch of laughs!

*Taking Steve’s Introduction to Wild Edible Mushrooms workshop before attending the medicinal mushroom workshop is strongly recommended! (Although not required).

**What to bring: Good hiking shoes, hat, sweater, waterproof jacket, insect repellent and/or bug jacket, camera (cell phone), a pen or pencil, and readiness for outdoor adventures! Best suited to adults and older children. Includes walking & hiking—often off-trail and on uneven ground.

Duration: Approx. 2.5 hours – Rain or shine!

Dates:  Sundays – July 7, August 4, September 1 and Oct 6 – 1:30 pm

**PRE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Rates:  $60 per person (minimum group size 6)

Location:  Haliburton Highlands – Exact address of workshop will be forwarded to students upon registration.

**This package can be customized according to your needs.

Cancellation Policy:  You must cancel more than 48 hours before the workshop start time in order to reschedule or receive a refund.

Take an introductory peek into nature’s pantry and pharmacy with popular outdoor educator and avid forager @stevie_funfur! This fascinating new foraging workshop is focused on the sustainable harvest of common wild plants for food and medicine, exploring their ecology, traditional uses, and the modern science behind it all.

This comprehensive class will not only teach you how to identify wild plants safely and accurately, but Steve will share some of his favorite ways of using them, including delicious recipes and tried-and-true home remedies. The list of plants covered in this workshop includes native, naturalized, and invasive species that have both culinary and healing properties, many of which can be found right in your own backyard! Come learn everything you ever wanted to know about these wild plants and a whole lot more…

There’s always time for questions and conversation, and usually some cool people and a bunch of laughs!

What to bring: A pen or pencil, curiosity, and readiness for outdoor learning! Best suited to adults and older children. 

Duration: Approx. 2.5 – 3hs

Cost: $60

Dates:  Sundays – June 23, July 21, August 18 & Sept 15  – 1:30 pm 

**PRE REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Location:  Haliburton Highlands – Exact address of workshop will be forwarded to students upon registration.

**This package can be customized according to your needs.

Cancellation Policy:  You must cancel more than 48 hours before the workshop start time in order to reschedule or receive a refund.

Winter Feature Workshop

Chaga 101 – and then some!

Instructor Steve holding the chaga mushroom

A workshop focused on the 'King of Mushrooms'

Popular foraging and outdoors educator Stephan Lukacic (@stevie_funfur on Instagram) takes you deep into the science, tradition, and practical use of this amazing medicinal mushroom!

This hyper focused workshop consists of an hour+ long seminar, discussing the medicinal uses and health benefits of the chaga fungus. You’ll also discuss the many beneficial compounds it contains, best practices for preservation and preparation, and much, much more! Then you’ll hike out into the forest where Steve will teach you how to accurately identify chaga, and demonstrate safe and sustainable harvesting techniques.  And of course, the afternoon culminates with a delicious chaga tea tasting!!

Winter 2024/2025 Will be released in the fall.

Haliburton Highlands Museum

Pre-registration is required.

Reg: $60 per person

Testimonials

Check out some kind words from our happy students!

 

Inspiring!

“Steve’s introduction to Foraging was a beautiful fusion of science, personal experience, and pure passion and love for the subject. In just one morning session our heads were filled with a fantastic base of knowledge to build on, and a deep appreciation for the intricacies and pitfalls of foraging for wild mushrooms. Many common myths were dispelled and we left Steve’s forest totally inspired and excited to continue learning. The experience started out with a great in-forest classroom experience, followed by some hands-on application of that basic knowledge in a forest walkthrough. Highly recommended for those serious about getting started on understanding the building blocks of Ontario’s beautiful ecosystems — fungi! “

Christopher B

Awesome Time!

“I attended one of the mushroom foraging experiences/classes and it was wonderful! Such a great time and epic learning experience. Highly recommend it! Steve was an enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable leader and I left so excited to learn more.”

Angela B.

Five stars

“My daughter treated us to a 3 hour introduction to foraging for wild edible mushrooms. The instructor was fabulous, interesting, knowledgable, engaging and interacted well with our group. When we came home, I immediately went for a walk on our property looking for wild mushrooms. I recommend anyone who enjoys the outdoors to attend this workshop!”

Heather Cowan-Moritz

 Five stars

“We met Steve- our mushroom tour guide and had a fun time learning the basics of mushroom hunting as well as exploring different kinds of this beautiful fungi. I would definitely recommend this course for anyone who would like to learn more about mushroom foraging or even just simply want to hang out in nature with your besties!”

Chi Tran